Aleyce Simmonds’ “Drink” Is A Potent Brew

I’ve recently been digging into the music of Australian country artist Aleyce Simmonds, combing through her 2012 debut Pieces of Me and 2013’s Believe. She’s a gifted contemporary singer-songwriter who also seems to have a handle on the more traditional aspects of country music.

Simmonds won the Telstra Road To Tamworth, a nationwide talent competition, in 2005. Her prize included a trip to Nashville to record her first single “Mighty Mighty Love” (penned by Darrell Brown, Dennis Matkosky, and Tim Nichols), a song that was also recorded by Lila McCann and Ty Herndon. Since then, she’s released the Mighty Mighty Love EP and the two aforementioned full-length albums.

One of the highlights on Believe is the single “My Life Drives Me To Drink,” featuring her partner Lachlan Bryan (who also directed the video clip). Voicing the inner turmoil of a physically (“My job is draining me from nine to nine/What happened to nine to five”) and emotionally exhausted narrator, Simmonds matter-of-factly recounts fruitless attempts to numb the pain via adult libations. Her clear, crisp vocals are both weary and soothing. Amidst the glut of current feel-good, party-all-the-time anthems in country music, it’s a relief to hear a song that sheds light on some of the darker motivations behind the consumption of alcohol.

I’m always in favor of a well-written drinking song, and this one is a potent brew of simplicity and sincerity.